Ghana designers tackle fast fashion’s waste pollution crisis

ACCRA, GHANA: Amid the bustling secondhand clothing market of Kantamanto in Ghana’s capital, where bargain hunters sift through piles of imported garments, a different kind of fashion revolution is taking shape. Designers and environmental advocates are transforming the country’s textile waste crisis into an opportunity for innovation.
At the Obroni Wawu October Festival, models strut down a vibrant runway, draped in stunning outfits crafted from discarded garments. The event’s name, which translates to “dead white man’s clothes” in the local Akan language, highlights the stark reality of Western overconsumption and its impact on African nations. Organized by the Or Foundation, the festival promotes upcycling as a sustainable response to the tidal wave of fast fashion waste.
“Instead of letting textile waste clog our beaches and landfills, we’re turning it into something beautiful and reusable,” said designer Richard Asante Palmer, one of the festival’s creative contributors.
A nation overwhelmed by textile waste
Ghana is among Africa’s largest importers of secondhand clothing, sourcing millions of garments weekly from countries like the UK, Canada, and China. However, up to 40% of these imports are unsellable and end up as waste, according to the Or Foundation. Beaches and waterways across Accra are strewn with textile debris, a visible symptom of the nation’s inability to process the influx.
Fisherman Jonathan Abbey frequently finds his nets tangled with textile waste. “The clothes that can’t be sold are dumped into our lagoons and eventually the sea,” he explained, describing the environmental toll on coastal communities.
Fast fashion’s global footprint
The rise of fast fashion—characterized by mass production of cheap, disposable clothing—has created a waste epidemic. In donor countries, unwanted clothes often end up in street collection bins or as charity donations. However, these garments are frequently stolen and exported to regions where demand is perceived to be higher, said Andrew Brooks, author of Clothing Poverty: The Hidden World of Fast Fashion and Second-hand Clothes.
“Consumers think their donations are being recycled or gifted locally, but they’re actually fueling a global waste trade,” Brooks added.
While secondhand clothes provide affordable options for many Ghanaians, the sheer volume of imports undermines local industries and overwhelms waste management systems.
A creative response to crisis
Despite the challenges, initiatives like the Obroni Wawu Festival offer hope. Young designers and organizations such as the Or Foundation are repurposing discarded textiles into fashionable pieces, inspiring a new wave of sustainable creativity.
“Fast forward to today, there are mountains of textile waste on Ghana’s beaches,” said Liz Ricketts, co-founder of the Or Foundation. “But we’re showing that even waste can be transformed into something meaningful.”
The festival not only highlights the urgent need for systemic solutions but also celebrates the potential of local ingenuity to address global challenges.
Policy and industry implications
Some African nations have begun pushing back against the influx of secondhand clothing. Rwanda imposed tariffs on these imports in 2018, citing their negative impact on the domestic textile industry. Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni also recently called for a ban on what he referred to as “clothing from dead people.”
However, trade restrictions alone won’t solve the problem. Experts argue that Africa needs better incentives for local textile production and comprehensive policies to manage waste.
In the meantime, Ghanaian designers are proving that fashion doesn’t have to cost the earth. From runway-ready outfits to community-driven initiatives, their efforts are turning a waste crisis into an opportunity to reimagine sustainability.